Mobiles to track sheep and cows

Farmers will be able to keep up to date records of livestock movements by using a device developed in north Wales which links to mobile phones, reports BBC News.

The scanner reads the ear tags on cattle and sheep and sends the information over the mobile.

The device would be especially useful for farmers who do not have access to a computer. "We've taken technology which was there already, which is the scanner which had to be read by a computer, and adapted it for use with a mobile phone," said David Hughes, managing director of Livestock Registration & Movement Centre. "Only 25% of farmers have a computer, but nearly all farmers have a mobile phone, to ring home or whatever. This system is simple, they press one button for the scanner to read a tag, then the other one to send the information along a phone line when the scanner is placed back on it's base unit," Mr Hughes added.

The Livestock Registration & Movement Centre is a call centre set up for farmers who do not have access to a computer to ring in with livestock details - LRMC then input the information into their computer system and pass the details on to Defra.

With the new system the centre will still check the information when it comes in from the EasyTrakka system, before it is passed on.

The unit will become available for farmers to use over the coming months.

Regine | 9:40 AM | |
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